[butlerm]

You could hardly make a less informed statement than to compare Utah to a theocracy. The LDS church is influential, but as an organization neither cares about nor has a position about nor preaches to its members about the vast majority of political issues. There are only a handful of well known exceptions - the LDS church leadership does not want to be involved in politics at all and they only do so reluctantly.

[NorthOf33rd]

yes that is their official policy but surprise, they don’t do as they preach https://www.kuer.org/politics/2015-04-06/carl-wimmer-opens-u...

https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2017/08/04/former-utah-...

Those are two examples behind closed doors. Other legislators don’t want to excommunication, so they’ll never speak up. And then there’s the times the church has made direct public statements or direct cash contributions to political causes like gay marriage in Utah or prop 8 in California.

70% of Utahans listen to a living prophet who shapes their ethics, morality and world view. If you think politics ends at the state house doors or at the ballot box you’re sorely mistaken.

In 2016 the first presidency published a letter urging members to vote, and vote with their morals. The church and the living prophet dictate their morals. It’s a pretty straight line.

It’s a theocracy, the church always gets what it wants. The U.S. government has turned its cannons against the state house because it recognized that it was a theocracy. The organization and methods have changed significantly since then, but the people in power have not.

[butlerm]

Like I said there are a handful of well known exceptions. Alcohol is perhaps the best known, gambling is another one. A handful of subjects that the church cares about institutionally out of the universe of legislation is hardly enough to characterize the state as a theocracy.

The generally conservative inclination of Utah voters even less so. It is well known that conservative voters in Utah quite often are outspoken in ways that run directly contrary to the church's lobbying position. Immigration policy is a good example of that, and also an extremely good example of legislators not just voting any way the church lobbies them to.

The last time major immigration policy changes were made in the state they passed a bill that made it more illegal to be an unauthorized immigrant in the state than they were before, where the church implies it doesn't really want any immigration enforcement at all. Needless to say its more conservative members generally disagree on that.

It is true however that most members and the church as well prefer not to have brothels and bars on every street corner, and don't want to legalize casino gambling across the state either.

The idea that the church could announce a position on the state budget, or criminal law enforcement, or even the way water rights should be reformed and have LDS legislators just vote like they were on puppet strings is hopelessly naive.